As Cifera was feasting heartily on the roasted chicken, suddenly, her sensitive cat ears twitched as she caught an extremely faint, suppressed sound of someone swallowing.
It was very soft, but in this quiet corner, it was exceptionally clear.
Her movements abruptly halted, then she turned her head warily, looking toward the source of the sound.
Soon enough, in the shadow of some discarded wooden crates, a small head slowly peeked out.
It was a little girl around five or six years old, but she was so thin she was nearly skin and bones. Her clothes were tattered, while her face was filthy—only her large eyes stood out, staring fixedly at the fragrant roasted chicken in Cifera's arms, filled with longing and a wolf-like green glint of hunger.
Seeing that look, Cifera was all too familiar with it—it was exactly the same look she herself had worn when she first saw the roasted chicken back then.
Surprisingly, even after being discovered, the girl did not hide and instead slowly approached Cifera. Apparently, she did not intend to snatch it, because she simply stood a few steps away, staring at the roasted chicken as if just looking at it might fill her stomach.
Cifera glanced at the roasted chicken in her arms, of which more than half still remained, and fell silent for a moment.
In the end, after hesitating for a few seconds, she extended her hand and directly shoved the roasted chicken—still with both legs and most of the breast meat left—into the girl's arms.
However, because the motion was somewhat rough, it pushed the girl back a step, making her stumble.
"Take it."
Hearing Cifera's words, the girl froze, looking at the roasted chicken that had suddenly appeared in her arms, radiating an irresistible allure, in disbelief, then looked up blankly at Cifera.
"Eat it quickly. Someone might snatch it later."
Immediately after saying that, Cifera turned her face away and wiped her mouth, no longer looking at the girl as she turned around, patted down her dirty little dress, and walked away in small steps without ever looking back.
Her pace was fairly quick, and her cat ears quietly perked up as she heard, from behind her, the girl first let out a sharp, disbelieving gasp, followed by the uncontrollable sound of her devouring the food ravenously, exactly the same as she had done just moments ago.
Cifera's steps paused for a moment, and the corner of her lips lifted slightly.
'I can help someone weaker, too… that's nice...'
===
Early the next morning, sunlight lazily spread across Lucian's single-story house by the street, complete with a beautiful little front yard, making even the city's usual mixed odors seem somewhat lighter.
Lucian moved a lounge chair, placed it in the open space of the front yard, then sat on it and closed his eyes while holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, making him look like a retired old man.
Of course, while his eyes were closed, in reality, his spiritual sense enveloped several nearby streets and alleys.
He was waiting, waiting for that catgirl to appear.
Sure enough, a few minutes later, a small, gray, sneaky figure appeared at the entrance of a nearby alley.
It was none other than Cifera.
Looking wary, she lingered at the alley entrance for quite a while before quietly sneaking up to the fence surrounding Lucian's house. Her nose twitched from time to time, as if sniffing something, and her gaze occasionally darted toward the tightly closed door of his house and that quiet little yard.
When she noticed the small stone table in the yard, it seemed that something had been placed on it. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was golden in color and gave off a sweet wheat aroma.
Unable to contain her desire and curiosity, she walked closer and closer.
Soon enough, her eyes lit up as she finally realized that it was actually freshly baked bread, and even better, beside it were perfectly grilled sausages!
In an instant, her stomach betrayed her with another growl, while her mouth watered uncontrollably, thanks to the taste of yesterday's roasted chicken that still lingered on her tongue.
Unfortunately, there was a problem—the owner of the house was sitting not far from the table.
However, she couldn't help but feel that the man didn't seem to have any ill intentions toward her, and she even had a faint feeling that he had intentionally placed the bread and sausages there for her.
It couldn't be helped.
Yesterday, not only had he not bullied her, but he had also bathed her and changed her clothes.
Even though the method had been a bit rough, especially that flick on her forehead that still left it aching, he had still let her take that roasted chicken.
Now that he had put out food again, was he trying the same trick again?
Soon enough, two little voices in Cifera's mind began to argue with each other.
One told her to leave, insisting that it was definitely a trap and that the food must be drugged, while the other told her to take a look, reasoning that the food might not be drugged, just like that roasted chicken before.
In the end, after struggling with herself for several minutes, the gnawing feeling of hunger made Cifera decide to take the risk.
Like a true stray cat, she pressed herself against the fence, carefully vaulted over it, and, using the flowerbeds as cover, moved forward step by step, stealthily approaching the stone table.
Little by little, she drew closer and closer until she could even see the fine white powdered sugar sprinkled across the bread.
Just as her small hand was about to cross the fence and reach the delicious food that was now within arm's reach—
"Want some?"
A gentle voice suddenly sounded above Cifera's head.
In an instant, her entire body stiffened, and her hair seemed to stand on end as she jerked her head up, meeting Lucian's smiling eyes!
At some point, he had already gotten up from the lounge chair and was now standing right in front of her.
"Who wants your food!"
Cifera, no longer caring about the bread or sausages, turned and ran, darting away in a flash!
Unfortunately for her, Lucian was faster, blocking her retreat in the blink of an eye.
Now that he took a closer look at her, the new clothes she had changed into just yesterday were already as filthy as if she had crawled through a sewer.
"Y-You—what're you gonna do?! P-Please, don't hit me… I won't come to steal your food anymore..."
Cifera, knowing that this man was powerful and that she could not escape, could only beg for mercy.
"Chill, I'm not gonna hit you. I just wanna bathe you like yesterday."
Lucian spoke while raising both his hands, trying his best to put on a kind and approachable smile.
"No!"
Cifera turned and tried to run again, but Lucian followed the same routine as before—instantly catching her, knocking her out, and carrying her back before tossing her into the bathtub in his house.
Just like yesterday, he carefully scrubbed the dirt from her body, wrapped her in a bath towel to dry her off, changed her into a fresh set of clothes, laid her on the bed, and then left the room, closing the door behind him.
A while later, when Cifera woke up, she found herself clean once again, dressed in new clothes, and still in the very same room as yesterday.
Food had already been placed on the nearby table, but unlike the roasted chicken from last time, this time it was bread and sausages, exactly the same as the ones she had seen on the stone table in the yard earlier.
Cifera cautiously looked around the room for a moment before once again taking the food with her and climbing out through the window to escape.
Lucian, just like yesterday, silently watched the direction in which Cifera disappeared and could only shake his head helplessly.
"Her guard's way too high..."
===
After escaping from Lucian's house, Cifera returned to the same place as yesterday.
Upon arriving, she discovered that the same starving little girl she had given her leftover roasted chicken to yesterday was already waiting there, sitting quietly in her usual spot.
Today, Cifera had quite an abundant supply of fresh bread and sausages to eat. Feeling unusually generous, she ultimately shared a portion of the food with the girl without much hesitation.
As they sat together and ate, the simple meal gradually chased away the hunger that had been gnawing at them.
By the time they finished, both of their stomachs were filled to a pleasantly satisfying degree, leaving them comfortably full and far more content than they had been before.
===
On the fourth day, as usual, fresh food was once again placed on the stone table in Lucian's front yard.
Unlike last time, this time there was a cup of warm milk and several pancakes thickly spread with sweet jam, their rich aroma drifting through the air and lingering enticingly in the morning breeze.
At the entrance of a nearby alley, a small gray head quietly peeked out once again.
Cifera cautiously observed the front yard for a long time, her eyes darting back and forth as she carefully searched for any sign of Lucian.
Only after repeatedly confirming that he truly was nowhere to be seen did she finally relax a little and dash out like a bolt of lightning.
Her target was clear from the very beginning—the stone table.
Her small hands moved as fast as the wind.
In one swift motion, she grabbed the cup of milk and the pancakes before immediately turning around and making her escape.
"Hey, kitty, here for a bath again today?"
Just as Cifera had taken several steps, however, the familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her, carrying a trace of teasing amusement.
In that instant, every hair on her body seemed to stand on end.
Before she could even react, she was once again caught and carried off for another bath.
Regardless, the outcome was much the same as before.
After enduring the entire ordeal, she ultimately took the delicious food that had been placed on the table in the room she was staying in, escaped from Lucian's house once more, and went to find that pitiful little girl, sharing the food with her yet again.
===
Days passed one by one, and the stone table in Lucian's front yard had ultimately become Cifera's fixed 'meal pickup point,' with the food placed on it changing from day to day.
Sometimes, it was a bottle of milk paired with freshly baked bread.
Sometimes, it was a bowl of warm porridge accompanied by pickled vegetables.
Sometimes, it was donuts and fluffy omelets still carrying a faint trace of warmth.
No matter what appeared on the table, it always seemed to perfectly match the taste of the gluttonous cat.
And Cifera, from her initial panic and bristling vigilance, gradually became skilled at swift snatching.
Eventually, after grabbing the food, she even dared to linger for a brief fraction of a second before leaving, quickly sneaking a glance at Lucian as he lounged leisurely in the nearby chair.
Her movements grew increasingly agile as the fear that had once filled her eyes gradually gave way to a growing sense of familiarity, while the tension in her body no longer seemed as overwhelming as it had been in the beginning, causing her reactions to become noticeably less guarded with each passing moment.
Even so, she still didn't speak to Lucian, nor did she offer a single 'thank you,' not even once. Every time, she simply took the food and ran off, disappearing as quickly as she had arrived.
===
A month had passed since Lucian met Cifera, and with each passing day, the weather in Dolos grew noticeably warmer as the cool spring breeze gradually faded away, replaced by a gentle warmth that lingered in the air and made it seem as though summer was quietly drawing closer with every passing day.
Today, Cifera came to his house as usual to steal food, but this time, something seemed a little different.
To Lucian's surprise, instead of grabbing the food and immediately running off like she always did, she remained where she was and spoke to him first.
"You... You're a good guy... I'll definitely repay you someday..."
===
[A bonus chapter for every 300 Power Stones.]
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